Crusader State of Attaleia
Crusader State of Attaleia is a fully autonomous province of ERR controlled by Order of Christ's Blood, situated at previously Turkish province of Antalya and parts of Burgur, Isparta and Muğla. This province is the main jurisdiction of Grand-Pontiff of Order and represents the worldwide ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Order's christian sect, as well as containing the bulk of it's military forces and garrisons. History Establishment The State was established on March 30, 2018 - a month after the end of Anatolian Conflict. First month of ceasefire was noted by sporadic fighting in various parts of occupied Thrace between occupiers and an unified resistance movement, made up of guerrilla turned civilians, remnant police forces and Turkish army, who split from Turkish state to pursue their own goal of freeing western Thrace from Romans and their allies. At this time, talk were held between Order and ERR on how to better solidify their new rule of newly conquered lands. Thousands of crusaders of Order were sharing the barracks with ERR army, causing a variety of supply and cohesion problems. By splitting spheres of influence between ERR and Order that chose to remain in Turkey to assist their allies in defeating the resistance, the leadership hoped to establish a much more rigid and stronger occupied state. The ERR's Senate, now on very friendly terms with the christian organization, offered Hector Van Reyes to move the entire crusader force into southern territories, which were less war torn and more likely to erupt in widespread chaos if left unattended. At first, the idea didn't appear good as the leaders of Order feared the obscene amounts of upkeep it would require to control and police the region of Antalya by themselves. But It didn't took long for the Arch-Pontiff to understand what opportunity this presents to the still-growing crusader army. Reyes suggested to grant the Antalyan region to the Order for their own self-governed state, which would allow Order to keep the southern provinces under their iron fist without much administrative and logistical burden that would arise if the region was governed solemnly by ERR. At first, the Senate was reluctant to accept the proposal as it was the matter of giving away vast amounts of strategic territory to foreign organization, which, even if religiously and ideologically similar, still foreign. The Legate of ERR whom had enormous influence in Senate managed to convince the senators that Order shed blood in this war only because they recognized the call of fellow Christians seeking to retake what's rightfully theirs and so shall be rewarded as such. The negotiations went for additional week after the entire senate voted to accept Reyes's proposal for establishment of Order's own state in Antalya region. The end of Senate session was marked by standing ovation of senators, Order representatives and other spectators. Pacification of Attaleia The very next day, thousands of Order troops and vehicles embarked south - to Attaleia. Several main urban centers were occupied by Order troops, while ERR army deployed to this province were slowly pulled away to other regions where they were required. The center of occupation was the city of Antalya, soon renamed to Attaleia. Order declared it the center of their operations, akin to capital city in which the main HQ of militant section, primary chapter of monks and Inquisition sectors were quickly set up to begin a long process of "christianization" of the region. The rebel forces that were active in region took this opportunity of slight chaos and change to try and wrestle some influence in Attaleia as Order forces were still unpacking their gear and moving their forces inside. Firefights broke out in several districts in city of Antalya, while Order suffered some casualties in ambushes set up by rebels that were hiding in city, waiting for such opportunity. What followed was a number of small battles and crackdowns in all urban areas and rural regions where possible. Local Order authorities declared total martial law and unleashed their security forces to quell any unrest. Soon it became apparent that rebels overestimated their abilities to strike at Order whom they thought was less of a threat than ERR legions in area that were almost gone in this region. After successful crackdowns and raids in various cities, rebels lost a lot of manpower and were rooted out of urban areas where the support for them was vanishing under brutal regime. Remaining rebel elements retreated into mountains and woods of rural Attaleia, where they remain a threat to Order to this day. Even with Unitas Abrogator troopers launching raids and hunts, rebels still occasionally manage to keep on causing a considerable trouble in many places. Formation and further growth (2019 - onward) By the beginning of 2019, Order has already established a strong state with effective local government and security apparatus to keep any form of mass unrest from ever rising. The population and manpower of the state is now slowly growing with influx of new immigrants - supporters of Order and families of Order militants and other servants that choose to settle in the state. Organization Government Crusader State of Attaleia, though still de facto part of ERR, is fully autonomous and has special status within the nation. It's government system can be described as theocratic fiscal-military state intended to support and maintain Order's military growth as well as act as worldwide beacon of Order's ideology. The main governing body of the state is the unitary Convent of Cardinals - an elective theocratic ecclesiastical body of high ranking Order clergymen who are elected from various regions where Order is established as the official religion. The Convent is headed by Grand-Pontiff of Attaleia, who is the bishop of Attaleia and is regarded as the head of state. Military commanders of the Order are in charge of all military affairs and assets of the state, with the supreme commander - Hochmeister, holding a seat in college of cardinals and having lots of power in governing of the state. Districts and cities The state is divided in several districts for easier administrative governance and organization. Furthermore, all bigger urban areas were reorganized as specialized settlements who fulfill special roles. Current districts: Attaleia district - capital district of Crusader State. Main government of Attaleia, as well as the supreme HQ of Order is established here. Marmaris district - contains a large military garrison and commercial port. Montes district - most major military bases of Order are established around this district. Mugla District - has numerous pilgrim sites and monasteries where Order's monastic soldiers live and train. Denizli District - heavily militarized region due to intense rebel activity. Normal settlements are sparse or completely abandoned near ERR-Attaleia border. Polydorion District - often the first stop in Attaleia for pilgrims arriving on foot, Polydorion district is relatively quiet and noted for many pilgrim sites and big temple city with extensive monastery complex. Attaleia Free Economic zone - also known as "coast of vice". This is a large strip of coast with luxurious hotels, marinas, tourist attractions and bustling nightlife filled towns. It's special status allows various establishments to freely operate without much of strict religious rules imposed by Order (though drugs and prostitution are still illegal). Loved by many foreign tourists and locals alike who take weekends off to go drink, gamble and relax. Misc locations: Sogut military airport - ex Turkish military airstrip in Attaleian district, now holding an unit of ERR's airforce and serving Order's air wing. Makri - a scenic coastal town near free economic zone,popular with pilgrims. Has a secret Unitas Abrogator training facility couple of miles away. Poenalis 1754 - a massive penal colony housing various political criminals, captured rebels and other unfortunate inmates. The number in name represents height above sea level the colony is established. Previously a large motor pool and service base for big nickel-copper mining complex nearby. The nickel-copper mines are still active to this day with Order profiting from them using prisoner labor. Demographics The population of the state is somewhere around 1 900 000 people, though exact census of population is not clear, with ongoing shift of populace due to influx of immigrants seeking to gain citizenship and refugees fleeing the extremist rule of Order. Main ethnicities include Turks (52%), Thracians (26%) and other (22%) Immigration remains high, with supporters of Order from all around the world travelling to the Crusader State to gain citizenship and live under it's religious rule. All soldiers of Order's military and their families automatically gain citizenship, further bolstering the population. Economy Much of enterprises and farms were left untouched by war, though a big number of industrial buildings were demolished by retreating Turkish army and rebels. The State still utilizes most of surviving economy for their needs. Roughly half of enterprises are privately owned, while others are owned by the state. Main industries include - agriculture (17%), mining (21%), tourism (19%), financial and other services (26%), metallurgy and manufacturing (17%). Category:Divine Order of Christ's Blood Category:Nation Factions